Boyan is a Slavic male given name. The short form of the name Boyan used in Bulgaria is Bobi or Bobby (Bulgarian: Боби). Its female equivalent is Boyana (Bulgarian: Бояна). In present days it is used as a given name in Bulgaria written as Boyan (Bulgarian: Боян), and also in all countries of former Yugoslavia, mainly written as Bojan (Serbian and Macedonian: Бојан)/(Slovenian/Croatian: Bojan). The name is recorded in historical sources among the Bulgarians, and also among Serbs, Czechs, Poles, Croats, Slovenians, Macedonians, Ukrainians and Russians.

Etymology

There is some discussion as to where the name Boyan comes from. It is generally accepted that it is derived from the word бой- (boy-), which means "battle", and the suffix -ан (-an) which is common in Bulgarian and other Slavic names. Together, Boyan (Боян) means "warrior" or "fighter". It is also considered as a possibility from the Mongolic word "Bayan" meaning rich, wealth, of the khagan of Avars Bayan I (562–602), and of the Bulgars Batbayan (665–668); from the name of Bohemia, the area of modern Czech Republic, in Serbian as Bojka (White Serbia), where lived the Celtic tribe Boii; from the Celtic Bryan or Brian which shares spelling and meaning similarity. Therefore, according to the Celtic origin of the name Bryan or Brian, the Slavic name Boyan or Bojan could have the meaning "strong" or "noble".

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